


The Ways to Love

by sophiacrutchfeild



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Love Square Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-06
Updated: 2016-12-11
Packaged: 2018-09-06 20:12:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8767516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sophiacrutchfeild/pseuds/sophiacrutchfeild
Summary: Love Square Week 2016!





	1. Chapter 1

**Sight**

She watches him constantly. It’s getting to be a bit much, she admits, but she can hardly help it. He’s like the sun- shining, painful to see, but impossible to look away from. 

She’s got his magazines, his cell phone number, and dozens of candid shots. She’s got his schedule on her wall, she knows his favorite color is bluebell blue, and she knows he’s going to be hers one day. 

When Marinette meets Adrien, she sees him. 

**Sound**

Chat Noir loves listening to Ladybug. Her laugh, her orders, her teasing, and her groaning at his jokes. For her part, she listens to him as well. His terrible jokes, his sincere compliments, his intelligent advice. Their partnership is based on listening to each other, trusting each other. 

It slowly dawns on Ladybug that for all she hears, she’s never really heard Chat laugh. He’s cheerful, of course, and filled with excitement, but there’s no laughter. It makes her wonder. 

But when Ladybug and Chat Noir are together, they listen to each other. 

**Scent and Taste**

It’s what brings Chat Noir to Marinette’s balcony the first time, the smell of sweets. She brings him cookies, a knowing look in her eye. “Hungry, kitty?” she asks, smirking. He takes one, happily. She snickers at the look of bliss on his face, as the chocolate chips melt in his mouth. 

He starts coming around more often, and she insists he have something sugary every time. It’s turned into a ritual of theirs, until she’d be shocked if he didn’t come around. 

The scent of cookies brought Marinette and Chat together, and taste has bonded them. 

**Feeling**

Their skin collides, lips crashing, and hearts beating in a frenzy of forbidden adoration. They know that it’s wrong, that they’re lying to each other, but it doesn’t matter when he’s running his hand through her hair, when she’s gripping his neck, when their bodies are pressed against each other in a passion. 

There’s nothing else in their moments, other than each other. There’s a desperation, and a need in every move. They can’t help it, and they don’t want to help it… 

When Adrien and Ladybug are together, they feel each other. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Bonding**

  
Adrien Agreste is certain that he means nothing to Ladybug.

He watches the sky, waiting to make his move. He’s got her patrol route memorized, and she’s going to be coming past his house any minute. If he’s out on the roof when she passes, he can…

Well, he’s not sure what exactly he can do. But it’s one time when being Adrien will give him extra freedom to do or say exactly what he wants to, without any consequences.

He climbs out his window, and climbs up to the roof, a book in his hand. It’s not the best book ever… in fact, it’s just the first one he grabbed as a diversion, so he’d have the tiniest reason for being on the roof other than stalking.

He flips the book open, but doesn’t look down at the pages, eyes flicking across the roofs, searching for movement, or a flash of red. The sky is clear, and if not for the light pollution, every star would be visible, burning brightly, though he can’t imagine they’d be brighter than her eyes. They’re too far away to give off any real light.

And, he sees with a smile, she’s not far at all. She’s right across the street from him, leaping across the buildings with a huge smile.

“Hey, Ladybug!”

Her head snaps to the side, and at the sight of him, she nearly drops off the roof. He hides a laugh. He knows she wasn’t going to get hurt, and it’s funny to see her acting like that. It reminds him of when he first met her as Chat.

On a whim, he beckons her. “Come over!”

She stares at him for a moment, before swinging acrHe has nothing to oss the gap, landing in front of him cleanly. “H-Hi. What’s going on?” she asks.

He’s never known his Lady to stutter… “I just came out here. To read, I mean. And I saw you, and… um…” he’s never known himself to get this tongue-tied before either.

“I’m kind of on patrol…” she tells him, twisting her hands.

“Right. It’s just…” he takes a slow breath. “I was wondering if I could kiss you?”

Well.

He swears he didn’t plan on asking that, but now that it’s out there, he’s not going to embarrass himself further by taking it back. Even if she’s staring at him like he’s gone crazy. “You… want to kiss me?”

“Yes,” he affirms. Well, and why not? He’s Adrien at the moment. She’s met Adrien once… twice if he counts that time their eyes met during the Mime’s attack. He has nothing to lose, does he?

Well, nothing but rejection…

“Why?” she asks, confusion clear in her voice, along with something else… something bitter, almost like heartbreak… which makes no sense…

He looks down. “Because… I’m in love with you?” He doesn’t mean for it to come out as a question. She gives him a very deadpan look, with that bitter emotion that can’t possibly be heartbreak under the surface.

“We’ve had maybe two conversations, Adrien. How could I possibly believe that?”

He rubs his neck, awkwardly, Yeah, he didn’t think this one through… “I wouldn’t lie to you. Anyway, I know you better than you think. I’ve been watching you for a year now, and I’ve seen your kindness, and your bravery. I’ve seen-”

“A mask,” she cuts him off. “You’ve seen a superhero’s public appearance. You really think I’m her?” She’s glaring at him, her blue eyes very bright.

This wasn’t his plan…

“It’s just a kiss. You can’t say you aren’t tempted,” he says, instantly cringing at his words.

She sighs, exasperated. “Yes.”

“Yes?”

“Yes, you can kiss me. But just know that the girl you think you’re kissing doesn’t exist,” she tells him, ice cold.

He nods, and stands up, brushing her bangs out of her eyes. She’s blushing slightly, looking up at him, and… It’s unmistakable. She really is heartbroken. And it might be his fault…

He leans in, and covers her lip with his. He feels her arms slip around his neck, and her tears on his cheeks. He’s got everything he’s dreamed of for a year in his arms… And she’s crying, gripping him too tight, in a kiss of hurt and anger. When she pulls away, she’s glaring at him. “You know what, Adrien?”

He brushes her tears away, gently. “I’m so sorry…”

“I think the guy I thought I was kissing doesn’t exist either. I think we’re both lying to ourselves. So while we’re telling lies…”

He pins his eyes on the ground. He knows her feelings about liars. About lying in general. “Ladybug…”

“I love you too, Adrien,” she tells him, softly. He could believe her. He almost does. She sounds like she wants to believe it…

If she’s a fan, then she’s right that it’s a lie. But is he any better?

“I like that lie,” he tells her. “I love that lie.”

“I love that lie too.”

And it might be a lie, but now, he knows that Adrien Agreste does mean something to Ladybug…


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternate Ending to Le Papillon Rising. For those who haven’t read the fic, AU where Adrien is le Papillon, a supervilliain, and the Love Square is incredibly unhealthy from every angle.

“Adrien, what are you doing?” she gasps. 

“I’m paying for my mistakes,” he tells her. “Marinette…I… I need to finish this fight.”

“Fight…?” 

He steps back, and in a flash the man before her is… no…

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you… And I know you hate me now, but…” 

“You asshole!” she screams. “You’re running out to fight, to fight for something that was never yours to begin with, and you’re going to hurt people!” Adrien… Papillon… it almost makes sense, but.. 

He looks down, and rubs his neck. “I understand why you feel that way. But I don’t have a choice anymore. I haven’t for a long time…”

“We always have a choice, Adrien…” she looks down. 

“I don’t. Never did. I have to do this… and this time, it might kill me. Can I… Can I please kiss you? Just one time, before the battle? For luck?” He looks so hopeful… but no. This man has destroyed everything. He’s hurt people. He’s hurt her more times than she can count.

“No. No, you can’t. Neither of you can, anymore. After Volpina, do you really think I’m just going to forgive you? Forgive all these secrets?” 

He offers a sad smile. “I don’t. I’m a liar, and I’m selfish. I stalked you, trapped you, and I… I love you. If I could change everything, I would, if it would make you happy…”

“But you can’t.” 

“No, I can’t…” he looks down. “I have to go.”

She clenches her jaw. “Same deal as before. If you come back alive, I’ll kiss you. Okay?”

His eyes widen. “I’ll try.”

…

Adrien watches the countdown. This is going to destroy everything. All he can do to justify it is say that he’ll bring it all back. Make sure nothing terrible lasts. This is for a brighter world, a perfect world, a world where they can be happy…

Happy…

He closes his eyes, and the memories crash against his eyelids. Marinette storming into the class, her aggravation with him over their misunderstanding… The umbrella, and the rainfall… Their first kiss…Taking her flying for the first time… “I love you, Adrien.” “I love you so much, Princess.”

They were happy. They could have been happy, couldn’t they? If he’d been good. They could have taken on the world. Maybe it would have hurt, sometimes. Maybe his obsession and jealousy, her temper and stubbornness would have gotten in the way. But they could have made it work.

He watches the countdown.

Ladybug bursts into the room, eyes wide. “No… you… What is that?”

“It’s the power of the akumas. Harnessed from the butterflies. And from me…” he looks down. “When this goes off… Everyone ever akumatized will send waves of energy off. The blast will have one purpose- getting the miraculous- but I don’t know what else it will do.” He looks down. “This is the last battle, though.” 

She looks at him, all the pain and hurt in the world in her eyes. “You’re going to kill people, Adrien. Doesn’t that bother you?”

He doesn’t think as to how she knows his name. Marinette told her, of course. Marinette…

“I can.”

“What?”

He looks up, terror clear in his eyes. “Tell Marinette that I can. She’ll know what it means. And… tell her that my last thoughts were of her, okay? And that I love her. And I hope she knows.”

Clarity dawns on her. “No…” 

“I love her. Why not die for her?” 

The timer clicks to zero, just as he opens his wings, covering the blast… And a flash comes from behind them. 

…

She screams, racing to the wings, letting her transformation drop. When she reaches the wings, a small silver pin lies inside. “No… No, no, Adrien, please, I love you, you can’t be gone…” Tears streak her face, as silver dust blows in the wind. “I need you to come home… please, you have to come home…” 

…

There’s no body to bury. 

The news of who Papillon turned out to be spreads like wildfire. Marinette is offered condolences, people saying how sorry they are that she was so taken in, and expecting her to talk about how horrible he was, what a twisted liar… 

They’re shocked when she refuses to say a word against him. “He loved me. And he loved his family. He made mistakes, but I’d like to see you make any better choices if your life went so… wrong.” 

Her parents aren’t happy after she gives that particular statement to the media. 

They help her hold a funeral, though, and her father threatens the people standing outside the cemetery, although they continue booing her as it starts to rain, and she throws a handful of dirt onto the empty coffin. She wonders what Gabriel will think, when he manages to get home… if he manages to get home. 

It goes on. 

She can’t stand the looks she gets, and one day, she transforms, cameras be damned, and starts racing across the city to where the wings still stand. She sits inside the wings, feeling them around her, and detransforms, crying. 

“Adrien… Adrien, I miss you. I never got to tell you who I am… I never got to say I always loved you…”

She removes her earrings, and places them on the ground. “Take them!” she screams. “They’re right there! Don’t you want them? Don’t you…?” 

She hugs her knees, sobbing… and a butterfly flies down, landing on her hand. 

“What…?” she raises her head, tears staining her cheeks.

The violet-and-green butterfly flies up to her face, wings gently brushing the tears away. 

“Please don’t cry, Princess.” 

She looks up, and gasps.


	4. Chapter 4

  
**Truth: Adrien doesn’t generally try to impress people.**

But he finds himself wanting to impress Marinette, just for a second. So when he finds out her birthday’s coming up, he searches everywhere for a good present, to make her happy. Plagg laughs at him as he steps into a diamond shop.

“Thought you didn’t like showing off?”

“It’s Marinette. And I can afford it. And she deserves something special.”

He looks through the jewelry, waiting to see the perfect present… and then he spots them.

A pair of beautiful pink diamonds, shaped into little rosettes.

Earrings.

**Truth: Ladybug is responsible, and would never do something as stupid as take out her Miraculous.**

But when Adrien gives her real diamonds, what’s she supposed to do other than put them in? He beams, clearly ecstatic that she likes them enough to take the ones she always wears out.

She feels guilty, knowing that she’s not being very responsible, but Adrien makes her lose sight of what’s most important.

Anyway, it’s just for, like, ten minutes. Just until he’s gone. What are the chances of an akuma attack in the next ten minutes?

Well, a blast tells her exactly the chances.

100%.

And as her purse is knocked up, flying away, she realizes with a panic that she should never have taken out her earrings, even for a moment.

**Truth: Ladybug and Chat Noir trust each other.**

But in the moment, Chat’s watching as Marinette stumbles over her words, clearly trying to tell him something about the akuma, and he shakes his head, smirking.

“Hey, let’s get you out of here, Princess. My Lady and I will take care of it,” he tells her.

“No, you don’t understand, it’s not what you think, Ladybug’s not coming-”

“Of course she is,” he snaps, lifting Marinette up. “She always comes.”

But she doesn’t, not until long after he’s lost, and he realizes slowly that he should have avoided all of this, if he’d trusted Marinette a bit more… and Ladybug a bit less.

But she does, eventually, show up, and save the day. He was right in the end. And any bruises he’s gotten because he expected her to show up are just part of the job.

**Truth: Adrien would never intentionally make someone feel bad, especially his Lady**.

But it only takes a second to say something wrong, to lash out, and when he looks up at the girl who left him for dead for the better part of the fight, he can’t help but ask.

“Where were you? What was more important than this job? Than keeping the city safe?”

She flinches at the questions. “I… I tried to get there, but my earrings-”

“What? You lost them? They stopped working? That’s not even possible, the Miraculous-”

“I took them out, okay?”

“I’m sorry, you WHAT?”

She frowns, crossing her arms defensively. “A guy in my class got me earrings. So I thought I’d take the Miraculous out for ten minutes to show him I liked them.”

He frowns. Does everyone give girls earrings today?

Wait.

**Truth: Adrien Agreste is completely oblivious.**

But it just takes a moment for an idea to set in. Just an idea. Nothing that really proves anything.

But the oblivion is fading.

And this moment won’t be as fleeting.


	5. Chapter 5

It's in the air. An elephant in the room. Everything about theor interactions is centered directly to the side of that particular topic.

It's so stupid, he thinks, because she knows. And he knows that she knows. He's pretty sure that she knows he knows she knows, but he doesn't for-a-fact know she knows he knows she knows. It's complicated, to say the least, but the point is, she knows.

She knows that he's Chat Noir.

He can't believe he let it happen, and Ladybug is going to brutalize him, most likely with her fists. Her yo-yo might hurt slightly more, being indestructible, but her fists will still hurt plenty. That is, if she finds out that he knows that Marinette knows who he is. But, Ladybug and Marinette are friends, right?

In gym class, she's on his team. She has been all year, of course, but for some reason, now that he knows she knows, she stands out much more. Not that she didn't stand out previously, but, well... she kind of didn't. That's not such a terrible thing, but it's true. She was a friend, albeit a friends with a few strange tendencies to appear from behind things suddenly and say things that made no sense whatsoever.

But as they play today, she keeps shifting through motions he can't remember her going through before, like she's hovering between trying to do something and holding herself back from doing it at the same time. Eventually, this lets up, her blue eyes flashing with decision and determination.

After that, they're somehow working with this... fluidity. She seems to anticipate his every move without even looking. He knows what the difference is, he's just not sure why it's so different. It's not like he's fought with Marinette as Ch-

Oh.

OH.

That makes a disturbing amount of sense.

After gym, he takes her arm. "Hey, we did a... good job, out there today, wouldn't you say?"

Her eyes widen only slightly. "A very good job," she smiles, the picture of innocence. He smiles back, his model-smile, and closes a fist, offering it. She is stares for a second, before carefully meeting his fist with her own.

"You know, I think that's my favorite part," he says quietly. "Fist-bumping you at the end."

"We've never fist-bumped at the end of gym class before," she murmurs, looking down.

"No, we haven't."

Their eyes meet, neither one intending to be the first to look away. To admit that they know.

"This is stupid," she finally says. "We need to get to Chem."

"But it's purr-fectly fine for a Lady to be fashionably late," he tells her smoothly.

"You know, I'm not acknowledging this."

"I don't mind at all."

They return to Chemistry, only a little late. It's hanging in the air between them. He knows. She knows. They know.

If only they'd admit something like that to themselves, maybe it wouldn't be so impossible to overcome the tension between them, tension that no staff or yo-yo could cut through.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who wants Enemies AU?

Kissing hurts. 

“What? Don’t you trust me, Chaton?” 

“Not in the least.”

She smiles at the hero tied beneath her, and her icy eyes widen with anticipation. “Good.” 

He glares at her, teeth bared. “Lady Luck, if you even think about it-”

“Think about what?” she tilts her head. “This?” 

She leans down, brushing blood red lips to soft pink ones, gently, carefully… 

He slams his forehead into hers, hard, breaking out of the yo-yo’s bonds as she recovers from the shock of the pain. 

But even though she loses the battle, Lady Luck decides to count today as a win anyway. 

…

He blushes as she stares up at him with those huge eyes, and bites her lip. “Chat Noir? You saved me?”

“Well, of course, Princess!” he shakes off the blush. Sure, it’s Marinette, and she’s in his arms, and he may have been dreaming about this moment since forever, but he’s Chat Noir now. Hero of Paris. He can’t be blushing this much over a teenage girl. 

“There has to be some way I can repay you,” she whispers, voice hardly there. 

Thoughts flash through his mind, and… yeah, the blush is back isn’t it? Damn. 

“Well?” she wraps her arms around his neck, smiling. “Anything I can do, say the word!”

“Kiss me…” 

He doesn’t mean for it to come out, but she smiles hugely, and lifts up to her tiptoes to kiss him, sweetly. For a moment, he flashes back to the previous night, and his kiss with Lady Luck… but while she tasted like iron and sugar, Marinette tastes like strawberries and a hint of espresso. 

When she releases his lips, her cheeks are bright red. “We’re even,” she tells him, and goes inside the trap door, to her room. 

…

He watches her laughing in the park, smiling brightly, like the sun. When she sees him, her smile grows. “Adrien! Hi!” 

“Hi, Marinette,” he grins. “You look lovely.” 

“You’re so sweet.” She reaches up, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, the light reflecting off her earring. Her eyes are almost sad. 

He puts a hand on her shoulder gently. “Is something wrong?” 

“It’s just…” her eyes drift down. “I’m scared you wouldn’t be so nice if you knew me better.” 

“Why not?”

“Because I’m not always very nice myself.” 

He shakes his head, and brushes her bangs out of her eyes. “Marinette, you are the kindest person I know-”

She pulls his collar down and kisses him, harshly, with far more malice than when she kissed Chat Noir. He doesn’t even have time to close his eyes and kiss her back before she pushes him away, shaking. “That’s me. I’m not nice, Adrien. I’m vicious.” 

He blushes, and tries to say that no, no that was actually very nice indeed, but all that comes out is a string of stammers, and she turns to walk away, bright laughter gone. 

…

He’s terrified as she walks down the halls. 

“Come out, come out, Chaton… don’t you want to see me?” 

No, no, he really would rather not. His ring’s out of a charge, and she’s at full power, spinning that yo-yo around at hyperspeed. 

But still, he steps out of the classroom, fists up. “I won’t let you hurt anyone, Lady Luck.” 

Her eyes flicker with doubt, and hurt. “Adrien.” 

“They don’t deserve this whatever-it-is. Temper tantrum? It sure seems like a temper tantrum.” 

“Stop talking!” 

“Why? You don’t want to hear it?” 

“Don’t make me shut you up myself!” 

His eyes widen. “I’m sorry, did you just threaten to kill me for saying you’re wrong to attack people? Innocent people? You-”

She cuts him off by pressing him against a row of lockers, and… very gently, covering his lips with hers. “I would never kill you, Adrien. We’re friends, right?”

“Friends who kiss, apparently,” he murmurs, trying to figure out why either his crush or his enemy has kissed him every day for the last four days. 

“You still haven’t figured it out? Kisses are like fingerprints. No two people kiss the same way. But you still don’t see it.” She drops him, moving away, looking strangely vulnerable, before running off. 

He could swear she was crying. 

…

He sits at the top of the Eiffel tower, focusing on what she said. No two people kiss the same way… It makes no sense, though, because… Because when Lady Luck kissed Chat Noir, it was almost the same as when Marinette kissed Adrien. And today, Ladybug kissed Adrien exactly the way Marinette kissed Chat Noir…

But that’s not even remotely possible. 

Is it? 

“Please close your eyes.”

He knows he shouldn’t listen to a voice behind him that could be his enemy’s or his true love’s. But he does anyway. 

“If you can’t see me… maybe you’ll figure it out.” 

The fifth kiss is light, hesitant. But this is a kiss he reciprocates, pulling her closer, and it gets stronger. Lady Luck. Marinette. His enemy. His friend. 

When he opens his eyes, neither of them stand there. Instead, it’s just a girl. A girl with jet black hair and bluebell blue eyes, who he might love if he didn’t hate her. Who he might hate if he didn’t love her. 

Kissing hurts.


	7. Chapter 7

She lies on the ground, looking up defiantly as Papillon closes in on her. “You can’t win. Chat’s going to be here any minute, and he’ll save me.” 

“No, he won’t,” Papillon smirks. “My son isn’t going anywhere.” 

Her eyes widen. “Your what?” 

“My son.” Papillon tilts his head. “Chat Noir. He’s been… grounded, at the moment.” 

She shakes her head. “No. No, he’s coming. I don’t know what you did to him, but he’ll come…” 

She trails off as Papillon pulls a silver ring out of his pocket… a very familiar silver ring… 

“No, I don’t think he will.” 

The blood freezes in her veins. “Where _is he?”_

“Gone. You’ll not being seeing any more of him. He’s certainly lost the chance to attend school,” the man frowns. “I’m incredibly disappointed in him.”

She shivers. “If you hurt him…”

“Of course not. He’s my son. You, on the other hand…” he steps forward, grinning bitterly. “You’re the woman who corrupted him.”

She closes her eyes, fighting tears. At least Chat’s safe… or, as safe as he could be under the circumstances… 

Papillon slides the ring onto his finger, and activates a dark violet energy, slowly stepping towards her. “I’ve always been curious how this would react on a human…”

“DON’T!” 

As Papillon lunges, she finds a body between them, arms spread wide. 

_Chat,_  her soul whispers. 

Papillon pulls back, but not before hitting Chat’s arm, sending his own son falling to the ground. “No… What did you _do?”_  he gasps, in horror. 

She stands up, taking his shock to her advantage, and the fight is over swiftly. By the time he lies, knocked out, on the ground, Chat’s arm is in a dangerous condition…

Chat. 

She runs to him, and… 

“Adrien?” 

He smiles, slightly. “My Lady.”

She slides the ring onto his finger, terror and hope in her eyes. “Chaton…”

“I love you. I love you so much.” 

She releases her transformation, running a hand down his face. “I love you, too.” 

He smiles brightly. “You made my life brighter. Thank you.”

“Don’t talk like that, you’re going to be fine,” she tells him, dialing 911. “There has to be a way to-”

“There is,” Plagg pops into existence. “There always is. But you have to be sure.” 

“Sure of what?”

Tikki pops out of her purse. “That you truly love him. If you don’t…”

“Then you’ll both be goners,” the black cat frowns. 

Marinette nods. “I’m sure.”

“Then true love’s kiss can break the spell,” Tikki chirps. 

Marinette nods, and he looks up at her. 

“Marinette, it’s dangerous, what if-”

“Do you truly love me?”

“Yes.”

She nods, leans down, and presses a kiss to his lips, tears streaming down her face. 

…

The light comes through the window, as their lips meet, and their tears intermingle. Sixteen years old, and on the verge of life or death. Love or loss. 

But in their terror, they can’t stop thinking about each other, focusing on love not for themselves, but to save the other. 

Slowly, something starts to change inside them. 


End file.
